New knife advise Kurosaki, Takeshi or Nigara

[nblitz]

Hi, I plan to buy a new knife soon. I try to find a flat blade profile. Here is my candidate. May I ask your opinion?

1. Takeshi Saji SRS13 Hammered Damascus Kengata
2. Kurosaki Yu Senko R2 Gyuto
3. NIGARA SG2 kiritsuke gyuto

I'm not sure NIGIRA is hand force or not.

 

[blokey]

With your budget I'd get a Yoshikane, one of the flattest profile I've used and great cutter. Only downside is the core steel is not stainless but semi-stainless.
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/yoshikane-skd-gyuto-240mm-aus.60653/

 

[Se1ryu]

Yu Kurosaki

Hi, I plan to buy a new knife soon. I try to find a flat blade profile. Here is my candidate. May I ask your opinion?

1. Takeshi Saji SRS13 Hammered Damascus Kengata
2. Kurosaki Yu Senko R2 Gyuto
3. NIGARA SG2 kiritsuke gyuto

I'm not sure NIGIRA is hand force or not.

Yu Kurosaki senko is not hand Forged but roll forged. The only line from Kurosaki line that he offer with less price but great performance.

I have Yoshikane SKD 240mm Gyuto if you interested. Also Yu Kurosaki senko SG2 bunka with wenge & black horn ferrule

 

[Se1ryu]

Deleted

 

[Se1ryu]

Thanks @blokey

 

[Delat]

Kurosaki makes great knives but they are not flat profile at all. Yoshi is very flat, though. I’m a big fan of both. Although if you want a really flat profile then you should consider a nakiri.

Here’s a Yoshikane 210mm k-tip gyuto - around 1/3 of the blade is flat. This example has a slightly larger than usual flat spot due to a repair, but not by much.

Here’s a Kurosaki 210mm gyuto. Hardly any flat.

 

[ENK]

I cannot speak to Yoshikane, but I own that exact Nigara 240 kiritsuke and a Kurosaki Fujin SG2 nakiri - so different shape but similar performance.

They're both great cutters, and I can verify the Nigara has a pretty flat blade profile. There's a little curve, but definitely flatter than my other gyutos. It has an awesome combination of some weight from the spine for some heft but a very thin cutting edge, vs. the Kurosaki which feels lighter and thinner (relative to size) throughout.

IMO, the aesthetics of the Nigara are very unique, and that compels me to use it more than my Kurosaki. This is entirely personal taste, but the combination of aggressive shape and rustic kurouchi+tsuchime rarely seen on an SG2 knife is just too cool. I love my Kurosaki, but the look can feel a bit sterile to me at times. Can't go wrong either way between the two, but that's my two cents.

 

[nblitz]

I cannot speak to Yoshikane, but I own that exact Nigara 240 kiritsuke and a Kurosaki Fujin SG2 nakiri - so different shape but similar performance.

They're both great cutters, and I can verify the Nigara has a pretty flat blade profile. There's a little curve, but definitely flatter than my other gyutos. It has an awesome combination of some weight from the spine for some heft but a very thin cutting edge, vs. the Kurosaki which feels lighter and thinner (relative to size) throughout.

IMO, the aesthetics of the Nigara are very unique, and that compels me to use it more than my Kurosaki. This is entirely personal taste, but the combination of aggressive shape and rustic kurouchi+tsuchime rarely seen on an SG2 knife is just too cool. I love my Kurosaki, but the look can feel a bit sterile to me at times. Can't go wrong either way between the two, but that's my two cents.

Thanks a lot very useful information.

 

[miggus]

If you want a flat(ish) profile and a tip, you might also want to look at k-tip gyutos / 2 sided kiritsukes. They often are flatter.

Kurosaki makes great knives but they are not flat profile at all. Yoshi is very flat, though. I’m a big fan of both. Although if you want a really flat profile then you should consider a nakiri.

Here’s a Kurosaki 210mm gyuto. Hardly any flat.
View attachment 204690

Note that in the Senko-Ei line (don't confuse with regular Senko), the gyuto has a K-Tip and a much flatter profile. It has a mild curve all the way through, no true flat spot. Which is mostly an advantage, since true flat spots are difficult to use, since they suddenly stop any kind of backwards rocking motion.

If you want it as flat as it gets, take a look at this one:

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/moritaka-as-240-kiritsuke.61131/

 

[Se1ryu]

Kiritsuke gyuto has thick spine from tang to almost near the tip without any tapped or little tapered on the spine.

 

[nblitz]

If you want a flat(ish) profile and a tip, you might also want to look at k-tip gyutos / 2 sided kiritsukes. They often are flatter.


Note that in the Senko-Ei line (don't confuse with regular Senko), the gyuto has a K-Tip and a much flatter profile. It has a mild curve all the way through, no true flat spot. Which is mostly an advantage, since true flat spots are difficult to use, since they suddenly stop any kind of backwards rocking motion.

View attachment 204925View attachment 204926View attachment 204927View attachment 204928


If you want it as flat as it gets, take a look at this one:

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/moritaka-as-240-kiritsuke.61131/

Truly useful information.